ecancermedicalscience最新文献

{"title":"Cancer profile among medical evacuees from São Tomé and Príncipe: a descriptive study (2019-2025).","authors":"Liudmila Castelo David, Teresa Mota Garcia, Isaulina Barreto, Esperança Carvalho, Laurinda Barreto, Clara Aleydis, Laurinda Coelho, Lúcio Lara Santos","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2093","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>São Tomé and Príncipe, a small island developing state, relies heavily on medical evacuations for specialised cancer care. This country does not yet have a population-based cancer registry. Therefore, limited data exist on cancer epidemiology in this population.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To characterise the profile of cancer among patients evacuated from São Tomé and Príncipe for medical treatment abroad.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Descriptive study of medical evacuation records from the Ministry of Health's Patient Evacuation Board (2019-2025). Descriptive statistics were reported for patient demographics, year of evacuation, primary diagnosis, referring speciality, number of evacuations per patient and if travelled with an escort.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 1,066 total evacuations, 413 (38.7%) were cancer-related. Cancer patients had a mean age of 48.3 ± 18.7 years with female predominance (58.6%). Breast cancer was most frequent (24.7%), followed by prostate (17.9%) and cervical cancer (9.4%). Most patients (76.9%) required single evacuation, with cancer patients more likely to have multiple evacuations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cancer represents a substantial burden among medical evacuees, with patterns suggesting opportunities for enhanced prevention and early detection programs. The high evacuation rate highlights critical gaps in local oncological capacity. Establishing a population-based cancer registry would enhance epidemiological data and inform public health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2093"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13161590/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147927700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Symptom palliation with QUADSHOT regimen for advanced cervical cancer patients in Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital: a prospective cohort study.","authors":"Tsion Zebdiwos Chema, Edom Seife Woldetsadik, Girum Tessema Zingeta, Hawi Furgassa Bedada, Mohammed Ibrahim Adem, Jilcha Diribi Feyisa, Winini Belay, Mushonga Melinda, K S Han Kathy, Rebecca Wong, Munir Awol, Bargude Balta","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2085","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women. Most patients present with advanced stages, and curative treatment is not possible. The purpose of this study is to assess the symptom response and treatment-related toxicities in advanced cervical cancer patients treated with the QUADSHOT (QS) regimen.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with histologically proven advanced cervical cancer candidates for hypo fractionated palliative radiation therapy and not candidates for curative treatment. Patients were treated with a QS radiotherapy regimen (3.7 Gy per fraction twice a day, 6 hours apart on Saturday and Sunday only, every 21 days, to a total dose of 44.4 Gy). Response to treatment was assessed at baseline, at 2, 3 and 6 months after treatment completion.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of the 53 enrolled patients was 56 years (SD, 10.4). Most patients (43 or 81%) had stage IIIB-IVB illness. Of the 50 patients assessed at 2 months, 43 (86%) had a complete response (CR) from vaginal bleeding, 36 (72%) from vaginal discharge and 25 (50%) from pelvic pain. In the 3rd-5th months, 46 patients were assessed; CR rates were 42 (91%), 37 (80%) and 29 (63%) for vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge and pelvic pain, respectively. In the sixth month, 19 patients were eligible for assessment, and CR rates were 18 (94%), 17 (89%) and 13 (68%), respectively. The most common acute toxicity was fatigue, followed by grade 1 diarrhea. Four patients had grade three bladder complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The QS regimen has rapid symptom relief for patients with advanced cervical cancer with minimal toxicities. The QS regimen is recommended for symptom palliation in settings with restricted resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2085"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13161582/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147927815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pattern of resistance on first-line EGFR-directed therapy in EGFR-positive metastatic NSCLC.","authors":"Sree Siva Kumar Raja Addagalla, Vanita Noronha, Nandini Menon, Minit Shah, Amit Joshi, Anokhi Shah, Kumar Prabhash","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2086","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and purpose: </strong>Resistance to epithelial growth factor receptor gene (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, both intrinsic and acquired, presents a major challenge in EGFR mutant non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), with the T790M mutation being the most common acquired resistance mechanism. Data on resistance patterns in the Indian population remains limited.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This <i>post hoc</i> analysis of a Phase III trial conducted at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai, India, included 350 patients with advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Patients were randomised to receive either gefitinib alone (<i>n</i> = 176) or gefitinib with chemotherapy (pemetrexed and carboplatin, <i>n</i> = 174). The primary objective was to identify resistance mechanisms following progression. Secondary objectives included comparing resistance patterns between the two arms and assessing progression rates and outcomes. At progression, histological and molecular evaluation was done with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase - immunohistochemistry (ALK IHC) and/or next generation sequencing (NGS) at physician discretion.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 275 (78.6%) patients experiencing progressive disease (PD), a total of 206 patients were available for the final analysis after excluding patients without histological/molecular analysis.Histological transformation to small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) occurred in 12 patients (6%), with various EGFR mutation statuses identified. T790M mutations were observed in 44 (37%) of 119 patients in the gefitinib arm and 17 (19%) of 87 patients in the gefitinib plus chemotherapy arm (<i>p</i> = 0.008). A new sensitising mutation was found in 6 (5%) in the gefitinib arm and in 1 (1.1%) in the gefitinib plus chemotherapy arm (<i>p</i> - 0.12). Loss of prior sensitising mutation was found in 21 (17.6%) in the gefitinib arm and in 28 (32%) in the gefitinib plus chemotherapy arm (<i>p</i> - 0.015).Patients with T790M mutations had a progression-free survival 2 of 22.7 months (95% CI: 19.4-27.4 months), compared to 19.2 months (95% CI: 17.5-22.9 months) in those without T790M mutations (<i>p</i> = 0.95). Overall survival was 27.9 months (95% CI: 24.6-34.6 months) in the T790M group compared to 26.5 months (95% CI: 23.2-30.1 months) in the non-T790M group (<i>p</i> = 0.75).</p><p><strong>Interpretation: </strong>Emergence of T790M was lower than reported in previous studies, likely due to the addition of chemotherapy to gefitinib. T790M mutations were more prevalent in the gefitinib-alone arm. Histological transformation and loss of sensitising mutations highlight the importance of repeat biopsy and molecular testing to guide subsequent treatment decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2086"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13161586/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147927692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patient and public involvement in cancer care and research: the Indian perspective.","authors":"Priya Ranganathan, Manju Sengar, Aparna Mittal, Vivek Tomar, Girish Chinnaswamy, C S Pramesh","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2084","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biomedical research aims at improving human health through scientific studies, and is crucial for medical progress through identifying more effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. Patients (and public) are integral elements in medical research, and no research is meaningful unless it is patient (or person) centered. However, conventionally, the role of patients and the public has been restricted to only being participants in research. There is growing awareness that to be truly person-centered, research must include the patient and public voice at every stage of the research process, including priority setting, asking the right question, designing and conducting the study, interpreting and disseminating the results and ensuring that research informs policy. While this framework is reasonably well-established in some high-resource countries, it is at a very nascent stage in resource-poor settings. In this article, we examine the role of patient and public involvement in cancer care and research, with a focus on the Indian perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2084"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13161578/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147927703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gastric cancer, what's new from International Gastric Cancer Congress (IGCC) in Amsterdam: a scientific report from Salerno 2025 conference.","authors":"Dario Cattel, Pasquale Valerio Albano, Rosario De Feo, Stefano Pepe, Alessandro Puzziello","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2083","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents a critical synthesis of the national conference \"Gastric Cancer at Ruggi d'Aragona\", held in Salerno, Italy, in June 2025. The event gathered over 200 specialists to discuss recent advances in the multidisciplinary management of gastric cancer. Key topics included precision surgery, integration of imaging and molecular profiling, innovations in minimally invasive and robotic techniques, and emerging strategies such as conversion therapy and neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Insights from the 16th International Gastric Cancer Congress highlighted global trends, including the rise of targeted and immunologic approaches and the expansion of collaborative networks. The analysis identifies gaps between technological potential and clinical implementation and outlines future priorities for research and healthcare organization. This report aims to inform clinical practice and foster interdisciplinary reflection on the evolving management of gastric cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2083"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13161579/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147927671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term overall survival of testicular cancer: findings from a rural population-based cancer registry, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra state, India.","authors":"Monika Sarade, Dipak Das, Sharyu Mhamane, Sandip Bhojane, Suvarna Patil, Shripad Banavali, Gagan Prakash, Atul Budukh","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2080","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in collaboration with Bhaktashreshtha Kamalakarpant Laxman Walawalkar Hospital (BKLWH), Dervan, a rural cancer hospital in Ratnagiri, started a population-based cancer registry (PBCR) in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India in February 2009. Testicular cancer survival is a less-explored area of oncology research. This paper aims to present the 10-year survival of testicular cancer patients in Ratnagiri district for the years 2009-2018.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The registry follows an active method of case registration. Major sources of the cancer registry are TMC and BKLWH. Data quality control was conducted by TMC, Mumbai. Follow-up was performed by house and village visits/phone calls by registry staff. For survival analysis, the date of diagnosis was the starting date, and the last follow-up date was 31 December 2023. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and relative survival (RS) by the Pohar Perme method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 43 testicular cancer cases were registered in Ratnagiri PBCR, with incidence and mortality rates of 0.6 and 0.2 per 100,000 population. The 10-year RS of testicular cancer was 63.3% (95% confidence interval: 45.4-76.7). Survival was 100% for localised cases. Other prognostic factors were age at diagnosis (<40 years), histology (seminoma), 'surgery' as a treatment modality and 'completed' treatment status.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Good health infrastructure and linkage of rural hospitals with the tertiary cancer centre play a pivotal role in improved testicular cancer outcomes. Continued efforts in research and education for health professionals serving as the first point of contact for the population will be essential to enhance testicular management in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2080"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068372/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social and clinical factors associated with non-adherence to radiotherapy with curative intent in a cancer centre in Peru.","authors":"Robles Díaz, José Fernando, Flores Romaní, Lucero Silvana","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2081","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adherence to radiotherapy with curative intent is essential to achieve optimal tumour control and improve survival. In low- and middle-income countries, particularly in rural and multicultural settings, structural and sociocultural barriers can significantly compromise treatment completion.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To identify the social and clinical factors associated with non-adherence to radiotherapy with curative intent and its impact on progression-free survival in patients treated at a Peruvian cancer centre.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective observational study was conducted that included 254 patients treated with radiotherapy with curative intent between 2020 and 2021. Data were obtained through structured review of medical records and validated surveys. Multivariate logistic regression and survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves were applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Non-adherence was significantly associated with belonging to an indigenous ethnic group (odds ratio (OR): 10.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.34-46.67), lack of access to paved roads (OR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.10-4.36) and incomplete secondary education (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.33-4.01). These factors were also associated with reduced progression-free survival.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Structural and sociocultural determinants significantly influence adherence to radiotherapy in underserved populations. Tailored interventions-such as transport support, intercultural health education and the implementation of hypofractionated protocols-are urgently needed to improve equity in cancer care.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2081"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PopMortGen-India: an excel based tool for preparing population mortality files from life tables for relative survival analysis for cancer patients from India.","authors":"Dipak K Das, Shivraj R Tandale, Atul M Budukh","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2082","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Relative survival (RS) is an essential statistic for evaluating cancer outcomes utilising data from population-based cancer registries (PBCRs). Despite India having 52 PBCRs, the availability of survival information is constrained, one of the challenges being producing population mortality (PopMort) files required for RS calculations. To address this challenge, we created an Excel-based application (PopMortGen-India) that automates the generation of PopMort files from abridged life tables supplied by India's Sample Registration System (SRS). The program calculates age- and sex-specific mortality rates by inverting traditional life table formulas and determines survival probabilities for any particular single-year age. The application, developed in Microsoft Excel, employs organised worksheets, formula-driven automation and macros to facilitate the effortless creation of PopMort files, compatible with statistical software such as STATA, R and SAS. 'PopMortGen-India' markedly decreases the time needed to produce PopMort files, reducing it from several hours manually to less than 10 minutes for a decade-long dataset. Utilising the life tables of rural Punjab and Maharashtra, PopMort files were generated swiftly and precisely. RS estimates obtained from these files in STATA are closely aligned with published data, including age-standardised RS statistics. The tool offers a quick, precise and scalable method for producing PopMort data vital for RS analysis. Its alignment with manual techniques, coupled with substantial time efficiency, renders it especially appropriate for implementation in resource-limited environments. We propose its formal implementation into PBCR procedures and capacity-building measures to standardise and improve survival statistics among cancer registries in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2082"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13192340/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148014262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conducting cancer research in a conflict setting: a view from the occupied Palestinian territory.","authors":"Shaymaa AlWaheidi, Anas Ismail, Richard Sullivan, Elizabeth A Davies","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2079","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer is now the third leading cause of death in low-income countries (65% of cancer deaths globally), accounting for over 4 million deaths every year. Despite this, research on cancer control and access to cancer care in low-income countries is limited and that in conflict settings rare. The acute and chronic nature of conflict and the vulnerability of populations caught within it, allow researchers only narrow windows of opportunity to gather and follow-up cancer data prospectively. This is usually accompanied by a lack of infrastructure and trained human resources, absence of reliable and timely data, eroded trust and poorly coordinated healthcare systems. These factors make it difficult for local researchers to conduct research, and even more difficult for international researchers to bring their skills into the setting due to movement restrictions and a lack of awareness of the local context, increasing the possibility of misjudging necessities. The problems of research in conflict go beyond the risk to the personal safety and mental health of research teams in conflict settings. Taken together, these factors could explain why opportunities for systematic data collection in conflict settings are limited despite being essential to reduce the gap in outcomes among patients with cancer living in low-income and conflict settings and those living in high-income countries. Drawing on 2 years of field research in Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), a conflict area in the Middle East, we present our observations from a study on breast cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water pollution and childhood leukaemia risk: a systematic review.","authors":"Juan Carlos Nuñez-Enriquez, Daniela Medina-León, Diana Tinoco-Montejano, Karen Jacuinde-Trejo, Janet Flores-Lujano, Lissette Gómez-Rivera, Omar Chávez-Martínez, Francisco J García-Alvarado, Patricia Blanco-Padilla, Rosana Pelayo","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2078","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water pollution represents a major global health concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries where toxic metals (TMs) and pesticides can contaminate drinking water through industrial, agricultural and urban activities. Children are particularly susceptible due to their developing physiology and higher water intake relative to body weight. This review aims to explore the association between exposure to TMs and pesticides in drinking water and the risk of childhood leukaemia (CL), highlighting the broader significance for environmental health and child safety. A structured search in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar (2001-2024) identified studies on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or acute myeloid leukaemia in individuals under 20 years of age, assessing exposure to trace metals or pesticides via drinking water. Observational designs were included, excluding studies unrelated to water exposure or lacking paediatric data. Records were screened and reviewed independently by four authors. Findings were heterogeneous, with several studies suggesting potential links between specific contaminants like arsenic, hexavalent chromium, pentachlorophenol and certain pesticides and an increased risk of leukaemia in children, while others found no significant associations and noted methodological challenges such as small sample sizes and difficulties in exposure measurement. Although current evidence remains inconclusive regarding a direct causal relationship, this review underscores the need for rigorous, long-term research to clarify the role of waterborne pollutants in CL and to guide public health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2078"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}